Signed off sick - can employer make me attend a training course?

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Oren
Oren Posts: 21 Forumite
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in Employment, jobseeking & training
As the title says really.

If I'm signed off work sick by a GP and have provided sick notes to prove such, can my employer make me attend a mandatory training course during the period I am signed off?

Have been almost housebound during my illness and would find it difficult, nearly impossible to attend.

Many thanks for any advice.
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  • agrinnall
    agrinnall Posts: 23,344 Forumite
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    No, of course not.
  • DigForVictory
    DigForVictory Posts: 11,906 Forumite
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    Mandatory training is clearly important, but is completely trumped by a doctors note.

    I'd hope your employer has already notified the training provider & is negotiating to swap you onto a later course.

    Would asking them if they have an alternative date for you to aim for sorted help settle your mind (& focus theirs) so you can relax & focus on recovery?
  • Paparika
    Paparika Posts: 2,476 Forumite
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    Remind them if you are too sick to work then you are too sick for training.
    Life is about give and take, if you can't give why should you take?
  • Oren
    Oren Posts: 21 Forumite
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    Thanks all for confirming this. Feeling quite pressured by my employer to attend and it's stressing me out somewhat.
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 16,489 Forumite
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    I accept that if a person is housebound they will be unable to attend a course, but being unable to do the normal job and having a sick note doesn't automatically mean it's not possible to attend a course. Just as an example, somebody in a role which would normally require heavy lifting but had a back injury might be able to attend a course which is entirely desk based.
    I'm not saying somebody in that situation should be forced to attend, simply that it may be possible.
  • ohreally
    ohreally Posts: 7,525 Forumite
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    Oren wrote: »
    Feeling quite pressured by my employer to attend and it's stressing me out somewhat.

    Inform them you have suspected Ebola, should you still attend the event.
    Don’t be a can’t, be a can.
  • TBagpuss
    TBagpuss Posts: 11,204 Forumite
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    If your fit note says you are not it for any work, then no.
    However, depending on the requirements of the trianing and the requirements of your job, there are situations wherer it might be reasonable to expect you to attend the training even if you were not fit enough to do your normal job (for intance, if you were fit enough for 'light duties', or if you were not able to manage full days but the training was for a shorter period.

    In your cae, if you are housebound then unless the trianing is available as a webinart, then no, it's unlikely to be reasonable for them to expect you to do it.
    All posts are my personal opinion, not formal advice Always get proper, professional advice (particularly about anything legal!)
  • AylesburyDuck
    AylesburyDuck Posts: 939 Forumite
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    Oren wrote: »
    Thanks all for confirming this. Feeling quite pressured by my employer to attend and it's stressing me out somewhat.

    Tell them if you were well enough to attend this you'd be back at work, tell them you are not and you wont be till your GP declares you fit for work.
    ,
    Fully paid up member of the ignore button club.
    If it walks like a Duck, quacks like a Duck, it's a Duck.
  • polgara
    polgara Posts: 500 Forumite
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    FGS talk to your manager and discuss like an adult. As others have said in some situations it might be appropriate to attend training, in others not so much.
  • nicechap
    nicechap Posts: 2,852 Forumite
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    edited 19 March 2019 at 1:14PM
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    polgara wrote: »
    FGS talk to your manager and discuss like an adult. As others have said in some situations it might be appropriate to attend training, in others not so much.

    Absolutely.

    Depending on the circumstances, if this was mandatory training required for the job, and paid for by the organisation and the reason for non-attendance was unrelated to their reason for being sick (OP says its making them stressed but their sick note might be for a sprained ankle) or impact on their ability to attend, I can imagine the organisation/manager being mightily annoyed and looking for any & every reason to manage them out.

    It always amuses me when people think that they can go to their employer and say "but someone on the internet said I don't have to".

    EDITED TO ADD. I see the OP has recently bought a house in need of doing up. I hope the manager isn't suspicious.
    Originally Posted by shortcrust
    "Contact the Ministry of Fairness....If sufficient evidence of unfairness is discovered you’ll get an apology, a permanent contract with backdated benefits, a ‘Let’s Make it Fair!’ tshirt and mug, and those guilty of unfairness will be sent on a Fairness Awareness course."
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